I made a dish a few times, back in the old days, that required stuffing cannelloni pasta shells. That was an incredibly frustrating meal to prepare.

The cannelloni shells broke. I became a frustrated cook with Italian stuffing all over everywhere. Except in those darned noodles!

All the same, we loved that dinner. Even though It looked like mangled lasagna. What’s the point? I’ll just make my Mom’s lasagna.

And that’s exactly what I did. For a LONG time. But one day…

That old manicotti recipe called me back. I wanted it to succeed! I wandered down the grocery aisle and found these manicotti shells. I determinedly placed the box of pasta shells in my cart!

Happily, I had a much better experience this time. And I discovered Taco manicotti is a really fun way to make manicotti casserole. I’ll make manicotti Italian casserole sometime. But for today I’m going with my Mexican taco filling.

Manicotti noodles are stronger than cannelloni. I found a REALLY small jam spoon in my silverware drawer; (a baby spoon would also work). The small spoon made it easy to push the stuffing into the manicotti shells without too much trouble.

I didn’t even have to get my fingers dirty! So, yes this is an easy Mexican casserole to prepare. Just make the stuffing. Then stuff and bake.

Mexican Manicotti casserole. The manicotti is unbaked when stuffed which makes putting this dish together easy!

This is a great ground beef casserole recipe to make ahead. I like that! If I EVER have the meal planning forethought to think about dinner a day ahead, that is. For those of you that do, Just assemble the casserole and refrigerate it until needed.

You can make it the night before, or the morning of, the day you plan to bake it. 30 minutes before your bake time, remove your Mexican Manicotti Casserole from the fridge to warm up.

You can also Freeze this Taco casserole in a tightly covered dish for up to 3 months. This a great make ahead freezer meal. Just Remember to LABEL the Foil wrap with the recipe name, DATE and Baking instructions.

Now if someone you know has a crisis (or you do) there’s a meal ready to defrost and bake right at hand.

Mexican Manicotti Casserole

Mexican Casserole Recipe Notes:

As I mentioned above a small jam spoon or baby spoon will work best to push the filling into the manicotti. Manicotti is a bit more durable and cannelloni however it will break if you get too rough with it.

This Taco Stuffed Manicotti casserole has instructions in the Recipe card for BOTH Microwave and Conventional oven instructions. Feel free to use whichever works best for you.

Mexican beef casseroles are a big crowd pleaser. I like to serve this one with a big green salad like our Kale Apple Salad or garden berry salad. The sweet in these salads add a nice counterpoint to the Mexican flavors.

Yield: 12

Mexican Manicotti Casserole

Mexican Manicotti casserole is a delicious, easy to make, comforting, Low-Sugar meal. Enjoy this yummy pasta dish full of Mexican seasonings and flavor.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans(I'm using non-fat)

1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning (or one packet- to taste)

1 (8 ounce) package manicotti-uncooked

2 1/2 cups water

16 ounces picante sauce(or any salsa of this type)

1 Cup sour cream

6 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onion (additional for garnish)

1 cup chopped ripe tomato(additional for garnish)

1/2 Cup chopped pasilla pepper(additional for garnish)

Instructions

OVEN BAKE INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet brown hamburger, onion and peppers. Season with the taco seasoning

Add the refried beans and half the cheese. Stir and Cook to warm and melt the cheese.

Stuff the uncooked manicotti shells with the hamburger mixture and place tightly together in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish.

Mix together the Picante(or any salsa of this type) and water.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole.

Pour the diluted picante sauce evenly over the cheese.

Bake 45 minutes tightly covered. Remove the cover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream and additional onions, tomatoes and peppers for garnish.

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS:

This recipe puts the cheese topping on after microwave.

Cover the dish with microwave-safe cover.

Cut a few holes in the wrap or set the cover up so it vents slightly.

Microwave on High power for 10 minutes.

Carefully pull back the plastic wrap or remove cover to avoid steam.

Remove the casserole from the microwave.

Turn the shells over with tongs.

Replace the plastic and microwave an additional 15 to 20 minutes on Medium power, until the shells are cooked and the liquid has been absorbed.